Total Action for Progress (TAP) will host its annual Black History Month celebration at 10am on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Roanoke. The public will need to register for this event either on TAP’s website (tapintohope.org) or by calling 540.767.6227. This year, will continue our journey through Roanoke’s Black communities by exploring the contributions made to the railroads by:
Lee Graves, Sr. was employed for over 34 years at the Norfolk & Western Railroad, where he worked in the dining cars. Starting off as a dishwasher, Lee worked his way up through the years to eventually become the executive chef. Throughout his tenure he served four N&W presidents with his cooking. Lee and his wife Flordy had four children, Lee Jr., Gayle, Charlene, and Jackie. He was 102 at his passing in 2017.
Latifah Hussain, a pillar of the Gainsboro neighborhood since 1980, has been a blessing to Roanoke through her efforts to provide a better quality of life and build a strong sense of community. She played a big role in several community centers, the Betty Lou Brown Head Start center, the Dumas Center, and Community Cultivators, just to name a few. Hidden behind her efforts are Latifah’s strong family ties to the railroad, which helped build the community she advocates so strongly for. She is the daughter and daughter in-law of many generations of railroad workers, whose jobs spanned from laying rails to maintenance to conductors to cooks.
Clinton Scott, a Roanoke native and Lucy Addison High School alumni, began work for the Norfolk & Western Railroad in 1941 at the age of 21. He followed in the footsteps of his father, George Scott, and his brother, George Scott Jr., who were janitors at the railroad. During Clinton’s employment at N&W, he worked numerous positions that included a wheel roller for the Wheel Department and a scrap wharf for the Yard Department. He then transitioned to the Machine Shop, where he became the first black supervisor in the East End Shops. Clinton retired from N&W in 1981 after working for the railroad for 40 years. He also served in the ministry for over 50 years, and became the pastor of Shower of Blessing and Goodwill Church of God in Christ. In 2017, Clinton passed away at the age of 95.
The Norfolk & Western and Norfolk Southern African-American Heritage Group works to preserve the stories and celebrate the history of African-American achievements throughout the railroad. Created in 1998, the group is made up of approximately 20 retired and current railroad workers who meet once a month at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Darnell Wood, a member of the group for the last four years, is a staple in the curation of the railroad history. He was born in Roanoke and is an alumni of Patrick Henry High School and Virginia State University. Upon graduating in 1980, Darnell started his railroad career with Norfolk & Western Railway and worked in numerous management positions in the Transportation Department until his retirement from Norfolk Southern in 2016.
This is a free event and the public is encouraged to attend. A soul food luncheon will be served immediately following the program. The public will need to register for this event either on TAP’s website (tapintohope.org) or by calling 540.767.6227!
